How to Build a Suppressor

By Major Rob Robinette

Warning: You must have a BATFE
Form 1 with tax stamp before you start to legally build a suppressor. National Firearms Act (NFA)
rules apply and you can do hard prison time for violating the law.

The first step in manufacturing a suppressor is getting permission from the
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) by filling out a Form
1 and sending in $200 for a tax stamp. It will take 5 months to a year to get the
tax stamp so send it in early. You must wait to begin building your
suppressor until you receive the tax stamp.

9mm Tavor X95 With Suppressor

1 3/4 inch diameter by 5 inch long suppressor. The 9mm Tavor uses
a blow-back action so it functions without a suppressor "booster". It has an odd 1/2"x36tpi barrel thread.

My homemade .22 suppressors are Hollywood quiet--quieter than a pellet
gun--but many people are surprised by how loud suppressed 9mm and 45 ACP are. It's
not like in the movies where all you hear is brass hitting the floor. My 300
Blackout suppressor is very comparable to my Silencerco Osprey 45 commercial
suppressor but they're much louder than a suppressed .22.

An additional benefit of using a suppressor
is the significant reduction of recoil. The added weight of the suppressor can
easily reduce recoil energy by over 10% and the slowing of muzzle exit gas can
shave another 15%. See my online Recoil
Calculator for more info.

Something else Hollywood gets very wrong is the sound of a bullet striking flesh--it's loud.
When hunting with a suppressed rifle the reduction in muzzle blast allows you to
hear the bullet strike. A shot to an animal's chest with a subsonic 300 Blackout
round sounds like a two-by-four body smack. Hollywood really does need to pick up on
this for a little extra realism.

Here's a short high quality stereo mp3 recording I made of a
suppressed 300 Blackout shot where you can hear the muzzle blast, bullet
whizzing by and the target impact. It was a 100 yard shot with the microphone
about 70 yards downrange. The impact is as loud as the muzzle blast.

Speaking of subsonic bullet flight noise, the
US Army's Silencers: Principles and Evaluations report found that
streamlined boat tail bullets were much quieter in flight than flat base bullets
such as the 30-30 Winchester or pistol bullets.

Since I have a Grizzly combo lathe/mill at home that I use for making race car parts I
already had everything I needed to make a suppressor. By the way, I have been
asked about my lathe/mill but I cannot
recommend the Chinese made Grizzly combo lathe/mill because its
tolerances are a little sloppy and I'm not familiar enough with any other lathes
and mills to make a recommendation.

I decided to go with an all aluminum monolithic baffle design for a 300
Blackout suppressor as my first suppressor build. "Monolithic baffle" means the
baffle is cut from a single piece of round bar. 300 Blackout uses standard
.308 size bullets and has fast spin rifling to stabilize heavy subsonic bullets.
It's very good at sending heavy 240 grain bullets at subsonic speeds downrange
accurately. 300 Blackout can also be loaded for supersonic and makes an
excellent home defense and hunting caliber.

If I were building a
suppressor for .308 supersonic loads I would use at the very minimum steel for
the blast baffle (first baffle the bullet encounters). A single steel engine
freeze plug can make an excellent supersonic rated blast baffle. They come in
many different diameters. An all aluminum
suppressor should only be used with subsonic ammunition.
The fast moving gas from supersonic rounds will quickly wear away aluminum
baffles. All 147gr 9mm and 230gr 45 ACP ammo are subsonic.

I have used this suppressor on several .308 rifles using subsonic 175 grain Sierra MatchKing
bullets and Trail Boss powder. Subsonic .308 loads are
very mild and a thick aluminum blast baffle is fully adequate. I used 175 grain
bullets because standard .308 barrels do not have the fast rifling needed to
stabilize heavier bullets. Trail Boss pistol power works well because it's fast
burning for less muzzle blast and its a low density powder that will fill more
cartridge space for more consistent subsonic velocity.

***A note about pistol suppressors: Most semi-auto pistols are recoil
operated (locked breech) and need a spring mechanism to decouple the barrel and
suppressor to allow the pistol to cycle. A spring and piston decoupler or
"booster" allows the barrel to move back
and cycle the pistol without the suppressor initially moving with it. Because of this the
non-booster suppressors on this page will not work with recoil operated pistols. Blow back
pistols, like most .22 pistols, do not need a booster so the
suppressors on this webpage will work with them. Blow back operated rifles will
also work with the suppressors shown on this
webpage.

Pistol caliber carbine rifles are a great fit for homemade non-booster
suppressors because they do not use pistol style locked breach operation. Also
their heavy, large diameter bullets hit hard at subsonic velocity and their
longer barrels allow fast burning pistol powder to completely burn for less
muzzle blast. They
make excellent home defense weapons for these reasons. I absolutely love my Tavor X95 bullpup in
9mm with a homemade suppressor but a 45 ACP carbine would add some stopping
power.

Since subsonic bullets are limited to a
velocity of around 1050 feet-per-second the best way to add stopping power is to
increase the bullet's diameter and weight. I'm a big fan of suppressed 45 ACP
because it's hard to beat a 230 grain 45 caliber bullet for short range subsonic stopping power. For even more stopping power 45
ACP +P in 200 to 230 grain jacketed hollow point can be used for maximum energy
transfer at subsonic velocities like this
Buffalo
Bore 45 ACP +P 200gr JHP with 490 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. Buffalo Bore
+P 230gr JHP and Hornady +P 220gr JHP Critical Duty are also good choices for
subsonic personal defense ammo. +P ammo will be louder through a suppressor than
standard ammo but the extra stopping power delivered outweighs the extra noise.

45 ACP defensive ammo is designed to fully expand at subsonic velocity so it's a
proven, inexpensive solution with excellent stopping power. The cost of
147gr 9mm subsonic ammo can be higher than generic 230gr 45 ACP ammo too. If
you like the mild recoil of a 9mm pistol (I know I do), keep in mind that a
suppressor greatly reduces recoil due to added weight and the slowing of muzzle
gas. A suppressed 45 ACP pistol shoots like a non-suppressed 9mm.

For hunting
distances I recommend 300 Blackout because of the excellent BC and aerodynamic
efficiency of the 220 and 230 grain subsonic 30 caliber bullets. There are several new 300 Blackout
subsonic hunting rounds available that will fully expand at subsonic velocities
such as this
Hornady and
Underwood ammo.

I'm a big fan of holographic and red dot sights for subsonic weapons due to
the typical short ranges used. Pistol iron sights are also a good match for
subsonic shooting.

You can make a suppressor quieter by putting a few drops of water or oil
into the suppressor and it'll really reduce first round pop which is caused by
cold dense air inside the suppressor. The downside is the liquid will mix with powder residue
and stick to the
suppressor interior and hasten the need for cleaning.

.22 Caliber Suppressor On Sig 1911-22

1 1/4 inch
by 7 inch long suppressor. This pistol's blow back action has a fixed barrel so
no suppressor "booster" is required.

MetalsDepot.com Order

The first and third items are for a 1 1/4" diameter .22
suppressor, the second and fourth items are for a 1 3/4" diameter 300 Black
suppressor. 1 foot long round bars are all that is needed to make a suppressor.
Note
how the outside diameter (OD) of the baffle matches the inside diameter (ID) of the
tube.

You can also split the difference between these two size
suppressors and use a 1 1/2" outside diameter x .125" wall x 1.25" inside
diameter tube (stock # T3R112125) with a 1 1/4" diameter aluminum round bar
(stock # R3114). This size suppressor will have to be longer than a 1 3/4"
diameter suppressor for the same sound suppression but it will look sleeker.

Basic Steps to Build a Suppressor

To manufacture a monolithic baffle suppressor the basic steps are:

Start with a solid round metal bar to make the baffle

Cut the bar to length

Face both ends of the baffle on a lathe

Drill and tap one end of the baffle where the baffle will screw onto the threaded barrel

Drill the bullet path through the baffle

Drill/mill out the gas chambers in the baffle

Clean the bullet path with the bullet path drill bit

Cut the baffle cover tube to length

Face the ends of the baffle cover tube on the lathe

Finish the baffle cover tube on a
lathe or simply polish it with steel wool

You may need to remove some material from the outside of
the baffle so that it will fit inside the aluminum tube

Insert the completed baffle into the baffle cover tube and seal.
If you have difficulty knocking the baffle into the cover tube with a plastic mallet
then remove more metal from the outside of the baffle to slightly reduce its
diameter. The seal can be a
press fit, welded, epoxied, one or more small screws, or even duct tape. .22
suppressors work fine with a press fit but larger caliber's will need something
to keep the outside tube from leaking gas and shifting position under fire. Two
or three small screws around the end of the suppressor
works well for this purpose.

The pictures below show three suppressors being manufactured, an 8" x 1 3/4"
300 Blackout, a 5" x 1 3/4" 9mm and 7" x 1 1/4" .22 caliber. I have Form 1's and
tax stamps for all three.

I use a chop saw to cut the round bars and tubes. A vice and hack saw can
also be used because facing the bars and tubes in a lathe will true them up.

Facing the Suppressor Baffle On the Lathe

Facing the suppressor baffle ensures a precision fit and alignment when the
suppressor is screwed onto the rifle barrel. Face both ends of the baffle and
tube. Facing the baffle and tube will also make it easier to mount them square in the
lathe.

Drill the Barrel Thread Tap Hole

To prepare for tapping the barrel thread I drilled the
thread end of the baffle. The depth of this hole isn't critical because it will
lead into the large blast baffle but it needs to be deep enough to allow the
suppressor to screw onto all the thread offered by your rifle barrel. Longer
baffles will need to be supported on the lathe by a steady rest (shown holding
the baffle at near end). The tail stock holds the drill bit stationary and in
perfect alignment while the lathe spins the baffle.

.40 cal uses 9/16x24 and a 1/2" (.5") drill bit

H&K .40 uses a
M14.5x1LH and a 13.5MM drill bit.

H&K 45 USP Tactical
uses M16x1LH and a 15mm drill bit.

H&K Mark 23 Socom
uses M16x1RH and a 15mm drill bit.

Optional Boring For the Tap

Boring the tap hole to the pre-tap size. This is not
necessary if you have the correct size drill bit as listed above.

Tap the Baffle Thread

Tapping the baffle--Do not use lathe power to do
this. I used the tailstock to simply hold the tap for perfect alignment with the
bullet path. The tailstock is loose so it can be pushed by hand into the baffle.
I turned the lathe chuck by
hand to start the tap. I did the last half of the tap using a standard tap
hand wrench so I could feel when the tap bottomed out. I used a 5/8x24 threads
per inch (tpi) tap to match the thread on my 300 Blackout barrel.

Finish the Tap By Hand

Finish the tap by hand so you can feel the tap bottom out. This suppressor is
for my Tavor X95 9mm bullpup rifle so the thread is an odd 1/2" x 36 threads per
inch. Shorter suppressors like this can be worked on the lathe with only the
lathe chuck holding the baffle (no steady rest needed).

Drilling the Bullet Path

You can flip the suppressor baffle around and drill from both ends to keep
from having to use a long drill bit. The bullet path drill bit will be smaller
than the thread hole--see below for bullet path drill bit sizes. The drill bit
is held stationary by the tailstock and the lathe spins the baffle.

Using An Extra Long Bullet Path Drill Bit For Long Suppressors

Drilling the bullet path the full length of the suppressor
baffle. Start the bullet path hole with a normal length drill bit for more
precision then switch to a long bit when needed. I got the long 11/32" drill bit
at Home Depot.

300BLK and .308 bullet diameter is .308 inch so use an 11/32"
(.344") drill bit for the bullet path through the baffle.

.22 and .223, 5.56 and 224 Valkyrie bullet diameter is .224" so use a 1/4" (.250")
drill bit. If your suppressor is longer than 7 inches you may want to go with a
larger 9/32" (.281") drill bit for more clearance at the exit hole.

9mm bullet diameter is .355 so use 3/8 (.375") bullet path.
If your suppressor is longer than 8 inches you may want to go with a larger
13/32" (.406") drill bit for more clearance at the exit hole.

.40 cal and 10mm bullet diameter is .40" so use a 7/16" (.4375") drill
bit.

45 ACP bullet diameter is .451 so use a 1/2" (.500") drill bit.

These are my favorite
books on the AR-15, M16 and M4:

Drill the Baffle Gas Chambers

Drilling the baffle chambers. Note the marked
baffles to be milled out. I started with a drill bit then finished up with an
end mill (below) to finalize the baffle chamber shapes. You must leave enough metal from
the barrel end of the suppressor to the blast chamber (first chamber) to allow
the suppressor to screw onto the entire length of thread on the end of your
barrel. In other words, don't cut the blast baffle too close to the end of the
suppressor.

Milling the Baffle Gas Chambers

Clean the Bullet Path

Cleaning up the bullet path after milling using the bullet
path drill bit.

The Finished Baffle

The finished baffle. I had to turn the baffle in the lathe to
remove about 15 thousandths from its diameter to make it fit easily into the
tube. I intentionally left the baffle chambers odd shapes to disrupt the gas's
path through the baffle. I now recommend heart shaped baffle chambers like in
the .22 suppressor shown in the next section because of how well that shape worked in
controlling the gas. I also recommend leaving much less metal between the
chambers to make the gas chambers as large as possible and also make the suppressor lighter.

Welded Tube-to-Baffle Seal

I slid the completed baffle into the aluminum cover tube and welded
both ends to seal the suppressor. It's now ready to be screwed onto a rifle,
inspected for barrel alignment and test fired. Please forgive the crude welding,
I'm an amateur aluminum welder. You'll need an AC TIG welder to do this kind of
work. If I need to open the suppressor I can use the lathe to cut the welds to
remove the tube cover. A sealed suppressor can be cleaned by soaking it in
mineral spirits. If I were to do another 300BLK suppressor I would go with
a press fit like the .22 suppressor shown below in the next section.

Mounted 300BLK Suppressor

The suppressor wrapped and installed on the 300 Blackout
upper. The wrap helps reduce noise too.

Before test firing a suppressor you must mount it and do a bore sight
inspection to verify the baffles and exit hole are lined up with the rifle bore.
If the suppressor exit hole doesn't look perfectly centered don't fire the
weapon because a baffle strike will destroy your suppressor. Remove all washers
and lock nuts from the rifle muzzle because they can throw off the suppressor
alignment. The best alignment usually comes from seating the suppressor tightly
against the muzzle thread shoulder.

The BATFE requires you to inscribe or engrave the exterior tube of the suppressor with
the information from the Form 1:

Serial #

Model #

Manufacturer (your name or trust
name as shown on the Form 1)

Manufacturer's city & state

I used a Dremmel tool with a fine bit to
engrave the suppressor information.

A well made .22 suppressor really can be called a silencer
because they are Hollywood quiet. Mount one of these on a Ruger 10/22 and you'll
soon be looking for ways to quiet the action or lock the bolt closed. They're
that quiet. I absolutely love shooting suppressed .22 and at 4 cents a round you
can't beat the price-to-fun ratio.

Finished .22 Baffle

A .22 baffle made of 1 inch solid round aluminum bar. Note
the large square blast baffle at the bottom and the heart shaped gas chambers.
This suppressor worked out very well and is quieter than a commercial .22
suppressor I purchased later. The baffle is 7 inches long.

For the suppressor barrel thread I used a 7/16 inch drill bit
to drill the hole and then used a 1/2x28 tap.

.22 bullet diameter is .224" so I used a 1/4" (.250")
drill bit to drill the bullet path through the baffle.

Baffle Ready For Insertion

The 1 inch diameter .22 baffle next to it's outer cover seal tube made from aluminum
tube with a 1 inch inside diameter.

Completed .22 Suppressor

The .22 baffle inserted into the tube seal with a nice tight
press fit. This thing is quieter than a pellet gun when used on a bolt action
.22. Seriously.

Before test firing a suppressor you must mount it and do a bore sight
inspection to verify the baffles and exit hole are lined up with the rifle bore.
If the suppressor exit hole doesn't look perfectly centered don't fire the
weapon because a baffle strike will destroy the suppressor. Remove all washers
and lock nuts from the rifle muzzle because they can throw off suppressor
alignment. The best alignment usually comes from seating the suppressor tightly
against the muzzle thread shoulder.

A suppressor can become hot enough to burn you if you shoot enough rounds
through it. I laid my rifle down on a tarp and melted it to the suppressor so be
aware of the heat.

Be sure and check the security of the suppressor for tightness with a
gloved hand between shooting breaks. They can loosen over time and cause a
baffle strike.

The BATFE requires you to inscribe or engrave the exterior tube of the suppressor with
the information from the Form 1:

Serial #

Model #

Manufacturer (your name or trust
name as shown on the Form 1)

Manufacturer's city & state

I used a Dremmel tool with a fine bit to
engrave the suppressor information.

SBR 10/22 & Suppressor

This is a shorter 6 inch long by 1 1/4 inch .22 suppressor I made (with Form 1 tax
stamp) mounted on my NFA registered Short Barreled Rifle Ruger 10/22 with a nice
Keystone Sporting Arms Revolution Yukon Laminate Thumbhole Stock. I shortened the stock to fit the 8 inch barrel. This
is a really great shooting suppressed .22 with the EOTech
510 holographic sight. Barrel is an
8 inch TacticalInc.com stainless Charger pistol barrel (Ruger Charger
barrels fit the 10/22). Since a suppressed
bullet only needs to accelerate to 1000 feet per second a short barrel like this
works great. Anything longer is a waste for subsonic shooting. Another benefit
of the 8 inch barrel is most standard velocity .22 ammo will be subsonic so I can use
cheaper ammo. Standard velocity ammo also functions the action more reliably than subsonic
ammo. I install a Volquartsen
Target Hammer in all my 10/22s for a huge improvement in trigger pull
and break. I also installed a JG Bolt Lock
on this rifle to allow single action silence by flipping a lever. The bolt lock
holds the bolt closed and keeps it from cycling to minimize noise. Your rifle must be
registered as a short barreled rifle with a Form 1 and tax stamp to legally install a barrel
shorter than 16 inches.

Ruger Precision Rimfire 22LR With All Aluminum Suppressor

Nothin's more fun than long range subsonic .22 gong ringing. Shooting from
the rear upper deck and the family doesn't even notice.

Another
Ruger 10/22 with Suppressor

Suppressor On Sig 1911-22

Since this .22 pistol uses blow back to function it will cycle
with this no-booster suppressor mounted. Most semi-auto pistols are recoil
operated and require a spring & piston "booster" to decouple the suppressor from the
barrel to function. A pistol with its short barrel is typically louder than a
rifle of the same caliber so I run my longer 7" suppressor on pistols.

If you have a BATFE Form 1 and tax stamp you can legally
build a suppressor using ebay "flashlight" and "filter" suppressors. You
typically buy an aluminum threaded tube with two end caps. One end cap is threaded to screw onto
the
barrel muzzle. The other cap will either have a hole pre-drilled or be solid and
ready for you to drill to the bullet path diameter. There are even lightweight
titanium flashlight and filter tubes available on ebay.

You can purchase "C Cell Maglite" tubes that have a
1" inside diameter and can be purchased with a pre-threaded 1/2x28 end cap.
These work well as 22LR suppressors. An ebay search for "C Cell tube 1/2x28" or
"C Cell storage cups" or "C Cell filter cups" will work. The Dorman 555-097
steel freeze plugs are 1" in diameter and should fit.

C Cell Tube

One end cap is threaded for 22LR at 1/2x28.

There are also "D Cell Maglite" tubes that are
suitable for up to 308 Winchester (subsonic only) which can be purchased with many different
barrel threads. For 308 or 300 Blackout you need a 5/8x24 thread. An ebay search of
"D Cell tube" or "D Cell solvent trap" or
"D Cell storage cups" or "D Cell filter cups" will work. I
have also seen D cell Maglite M baffles referred to as "D Cell hiking stick
storage cups". The tubes have a
1.350" inside diameter. NAPA Sealed Power SEP 381-3179 steel freeze plugs fit.

The larger diameter NAPA 4003 and WIX 24003 filters can be
purchased with various barrel threads. An ebay search of "4003 filter 5/8x24" or
"4003 filter cups" will work. They're probably good only up to 308
Winchester but I've never tried a more powerful cartridge so I'm not sure. These filters have a 9"
internal length. The inside diameter is either 1.8 or 1.75". Real NAPA or WIX
filters have a 1.8" inside diameter. Some
of the ebay clone filters have an inside diameter of 1.75" so verify what you
have before you order freeze plugs or filter cups. The Dorman 555-098 freeze
plug is 1.77"x.44" and will fit in the real NAPA or WIX 1.8" filters. The Dorman
555-034 freeze plug is 1.75" in diameter and .43" thick and fit well in the
1.75"
clone filters.

4003 Filter

This filter comes with an end cap threaded for 308 or 300
Blackout at 5/8x24.

To build a flashlight or filter suppressor you'll need to
make baffles. Dorman steel automotive freeze plugs can be formed into
baffles with some work and the cost is low at about 80 cents each. Call
ahead and most auto parts stores can get you a box of 10 overnight. With a lathe
you can spin the plugs and center drill a 3/16" hole. Drill from the cupped end
so the concave shape will keep the drill bit centered. Then place the plug over
a wrench socket that fits and use a large punch and hammer to enlarge
the hole to the desired bullet path size. As you enlarge the hole the punch will also bend the plug into the desired
"M" shape to make the baffle more efficient. The baffle will stick to the punch
but you can tap alternating sides of the baffle with your hammer to knock it
free. Use a bullet path size drill bit to verify the hole size as you enlarge
the hole with the punch.

Forming a Freeze Plug Into a Baffle

Freeze plug is draped over a socket and a large punch is driven through the
pre-drilled center hole. As you enlarge the hole, check its size occasionally
with a bullet path sized drill bit.

I recommend putting four 3/16" holes around the bullet path
hole in the first baffle (blast baffle). These holes allow some of the very
high pressure blast wave to pass through and bleed some of the wave's energy.

Freeze Plug M Baffle

The notch in the bullet path hole keeps the gas from
shooting straight down the center of the suppressor.

You can
also purchase "flashlight storage cups" or "filter cups" that come in the form
of an M baffle and work extremely well but they cost much more than freeze
plugs. They come in C cell, D cell and 4003 filter sizes. You just have to drill the bullet path holes into the M baffles,
notch the hole and slide
them into the tube. There are even storage cups made of steel which will hold up
better than aluminum to supersonic rounds.

D Cell Storage Cup M Baffle

Just drill the bullet path hole and add a notch. They come
in C & D cell and 4003 filter sizes.

A filter or flashlight spring can be used as a spacer to form the blast chamber
area (first chamber the rifle gasses encounter). You can also cut aluminum tubing to form
spacers to separate the baffles or you can simply fill the tube with baffles but
that does add weight when using steel freeze plugs. Mixing freeze plug and M
baffles can also work very well for sound suppression. If you plan to shoot
supersonic rounds greater than 22LR I recommend a steel blast baffle (first
baffle). You can add one steel freeze plug blast baffle to a suppressor full of
aluminum storage cup M baffles to ensure longevity.

When drilling the bullet path holes in the baffles it's a good
idea to elongate the hole in one direction. This sends the moving gasses off to
the side to strike the next baffle wall instead of just shooting straight down
the center of the baffles. This is a common feature of commercial suppressor
baffles. A 1/4" rat tail (round) metal file works great for this. For aluminum
baffles you can use a 1/4" drill bit to elongate the hole.

Note how the skirt hole is opposite the entrance slot in
this XCaliber Genesis suppressor M baffle. Hot gasses entering the slot push the
main gas stream into the skirt hole to trap it between the baffle and suppressor
wall. The Genesis is a very quiet .22 suppressor. Photo by
TheSilencerStore.com.

WARNING: Just because these Maglite and filter suppressors
are easy to make doesn't decrease the severity of penalty for illegal
possession. You can do hard prison time if you don't have a Form 1 and tax stamp
for a suppressor.

Other Suppressor Design Tweaks

I recommend putting four 3/16" holes around the bullet path
hole in the first baffle (blast baffle). These holes allow some of the very
high pressure blast wave to pass through and bleed some of the wave's energy.
This is a common feature in commercial suppressors.

I haven't tried this yet but placing a rubber washer between
each baffle (freeze plug or storage cup) and between the last baffle and exit
hole should help attenuate internal
noise caused by reflection, vibration and resonance. Lowe's and Home Depot
sell rubber washers in a variety of sizes.

Some silencers of the past used felt washers between the
last baffle and the exit hole to absorb the diminished shock wave.

Another technique of old was placing steel wool in the gas
chambers but testing seems to confirm this isn't worth the trouble.

A thick piece of rubber sheet can be placed between the last
baffle and exit hole to form a "wipe". Cut an "X" slit for the bullet to
pass. The rubber will slow the exit of gas from the suppressor exit hole but
may reduce accuracy.

I highly recommend you put a little anti-seize compound on the
tube and end cap threads to make disassembly easier.

To remove stuck baffles for cleaning a socket on an extension
can be used to drive them out.

Don't forget that you must engrave your Form 1 information on
the exterior tube of the suppressor.

Getting factory installed flash hiders and muzzle brakes off
can be a pain in the butt without the right tools.

The standard wrench size for AR flash hiders is 3/4 inch but
not all are standard.

For right-hand threaded devices, when looking down the barrel
you turn the device counter-clockwise (left) to remove and clockwise (right) to
tighten. Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. Left-hand threaded devices will go the
opposite directions.

The first thing I try is simply
holding the rifle receiver between my knees and use a long 3/4" wrench on the
flash hider and tap the wrench lightly with a metal hammer. About half the time
this is all that's required to break the flash hider loose.

Many muzzle devices have high temperature thread locker like
Loctite Red on their threads. If you find a really stubborn flash hider it
probably has high temp thread locker on it. Applying a torch to the muzzle device (not the
barrel) until cherry red will release the thread lock and allow removal but be
advised using a
torch may mar the finish of the muzzle device. Be cautious of the hot barrel and
flash hider.

If you plan to do a lot of AR flash hider/muzzle
brake/suppressor work I highly recommend the $83
Geissele Automatics Reaction Rod. You put the Reaction Rod in a vice then slide the
AR upper on the rod. The rod is the same diameter as an AR bolt so it fits
snugly. The bar has lugs that lock into the barrel lugs to keep the
barrel from turning. This holds the barrel securely while you torque on muzzle
devices so only the barrel is torqued and not the upper receiver.

Geissele Automatics Reaction Rod

AR upper on Reaction Rod.

I do not recommend using a standard AR upper vice block to
remove muzzle devices because you can damage the upper receiver and/or gas tube.

Aluminum Barrel Vice & Leather Inserts

If you have easy access to the barrel then
aluminum and
leather vice inserts will hold the barrel fast for easy muzzle device work
with no barrel marring. The Tavor user manual shows how to remove the front shroud
for barrel access. This 5.56mm Tavor X95 has standard 1/2"x28 right-hand muzzle
thread. The flash hider was locked into position using a 3/4" lock nut. The 9mm
Tavor X95 has an odd 1/2"x36 right-hand thread. The 300 Blackout Tavor X95 uses
standard 30 cal 5/8x24 right-hand thread.

You can use an impact driver with a
3/4" crowfoot wrench (3/8" drive) and extension to help remove stubborn
flash hiders. Place the extension on the impact driver then put the crowfoot
wrench on the extension and place it on the flash hider's 3/4" flat side. Use a gloved hand to help keep the crowfoot on the flash hider and take
your time using short impact bursts. I've done this but I nicked the barrel so I
don't recommend it except as a last resort. Painters tape then several layers of duct
tape on the barrel can offer some protection.

3/4 Inch Crowfoot Wrench

This wrench plus a short 3/8" drive extension on your
impact wrench can help break loose stuck flash hiders.

Remove all washers and lock nuts from the rifle muzzle
because they can throw off suppressor alignment. The best alignment usually
comes from seating the suppressor directly against the muzzle thread shoulder.